An assemblage for use with a road vehicle throttle valve for achieving fuel economy

ABSTRACT

In a road vehicle the throttle pedal is servo assisted, but the servo assistance is removed under predetermined conditions so that the drive has to press the pedal harder. The predetermined conditions can be chosen so that if pinging occurs the driver receives a signal that he must ease back on the throttle pedal so as to regain the servo assistance. In this way fuel economy can readily be obtained.

United States Patent 1111 3,623,693

[72] Inventor WiIIiamFrankHllI [50] Fieldol'Search 1 1 1 9l/376;Stafford, England 123/98. I08; 251/26. 38. 295

1211 AppLNo. 841,253

22 Filed July 14,1969 [56] References Cited 1451 Patented Nov. 30, 1971UNITED STATES PATENTS i 1 Assisnee Josephhuwflndustrieslhimmd 2,808,70510/1957 Ingres 9l/376 Birminghamllnflhnd 3.104.590 9/1963 Kelloggetal.l23/98 1 Prwnly b 1 3.180.232 4/1965 AyersJr. 123/98 1 GreflBrimn3.237.527 3/1966 Martin 123/98 Primary E.ran1iner- Paul E. MaslouskyAttorney-Holman & Stern [54] ASSEMBLAGE FOR USE WITH A ROAD VEHICLETHROTTLE VALVE FOR ACHIEVING FUEL ECONOMY ABSTRACT: In a road vehiclethe throttle pedal is servo lcmm, 1 Drawing Fig assisted. but the servoassistance is removed under predetermined conditions so that the drivehas to press the pedal [52] US. Cl 251/26, harden The predeterminedconditions can be chosen so h if 251/3381 251/2951 9l/376' 123/]03pinging occurs the driver receives a signal that he must ease 1 Int. b kon th th ttl d l 50 as t in the servo i tan e 31/12 In this way fueleconomy can readily be obtained.

PATENTED unvaolsn 3,623,693

IN ENTOE AMI Fwgid I {M ATT FNEYS AN ASSEMBLAGE FOR USE WITH A ROADVEHICLE THROTTLE VALVE FOR ACHIEVING FUEL ECONOMY This invention relatesto a mechanism for use with a road vehicle provided with an enginethrottle valve for achieving fuel economy.

The basic idea of the invention is to provide a throttle pedal which isservo assisted, and to remove the servo assistance under certainpredetermined conditions. In this way, although the driver can stilloperate the throttle pedal, he has to press it harder than when thepedal is servo assisted, so that a warning is given to the driver thatthe predetermined set of circumstances subsists.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic illustration of one exampleof the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the inlet manifold 11 of the engine of a roadvehicle includes a throttle valve 12 which operates in the usual way.The valve is controlled by the throttle pedal 13 of the vehicle, whichis pivotally mounted at 13a to floor 13b of the vehicle and urged to itsrest position shown by a light return spring 14. Associated with thethrottle pedal 13 is a vacuum actuator comprising a bellows 15containing a spring 16 which urges the bellows 15 to the position shown.The spring 16 is considerably stronger than the spring 14, and thebellows 15 is coupled to the throttle valve as depicted at 15a downwardmovement of the bellows 15 opens the valve 12. The lower end of thebellows 15 is coupled, through a pipe 17 having a restrictor 18 therein,to the inlet manifold 1 l, and in the pipe 17 is a valve 19 whereby thepipe 17 can be open to atmosphere under the control of a winding 21. Theupper end of the bellows 15 is opened through one part 22 of a valve,the other part 23 of which is carried by the throttle pedal 13.

In operation, assuming the valve 19 to be closed, then the manifolddepression within the bellows 1S acts against the spring 16 to keep thebellows 15 in an equilibrium position, with the throttle valve 12 beingsuitably adjusted by the be]- lows 15. When the throttle pedal 13 ismoved downwardly, the valve part 23 approaches the valve part 22, sorestricting flow through the valves 22, 23 and causing the bellows 15 tomove downwardly following the movement of the pedal 13. However, if atany time the manifold depression becomes too low, then the valve part 23engages the valve part 22 to close the valve, so removing the servoassistance. Further depression of the pedal 13 then takes place againstthe action of the spring 16, which, as previously stated, isconsiderably stronger than the spring 14, so that the driver will feel anoticeable difference in the force he has to apply to the pedal 13. Thereturn spring for the throttle valve 12 is of course chosen to besuitable for the servo-assisted action.

In a particular example, it is arranged that the servo assistance isremoved at a manifold depression of the order of 2 inches of mercury.With this arrangement, assuming the car is being operated on petrol oflower octane rating than that required, servo assistance will beavailable as long as the vehicle is driven in a manner to avoid pinging.However, if the vehicle is being driven in such a way that pinging isliable to occur, in other words if the driver attempts to use largethrottle openings at low engine speeds the valves 22, 23 will close andthe driver will be given a warning by the removal of the servoassistance. He can then take the appropriate action, by limiting thethrottle opening at all engine speeds so as to keep enough manifolddepression to provide servo assistance. In this way a valuable saving infuel can be made.

The winding 21 receives a signal from a speed-responsive circuitoperated by an electromagnetic pickup, which produces a signalrepresenting the speed of the vehicle. The arrangement is such that at apredetermined engine speed, the winding 21 opens the valve 19, soremoving the servo assistance. The driver is thus given a warning thathe has reached the selected speed. If desired, a manually operabledevice can be utilized to enable the driver to set the speed.

It will of course be appreciated that the valve 19 could be providedwithout the valves 22, 23 or vice versa, and that the servo assistancecould be removed under other selected conditions as well as, or insteadof the conditions described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An assemblage for achieving fuel economy for use with a road vehicleengine having an inlet manifold, a throttle valve located in the inletmanifold and a vehicle floorboard, a throttle pedal pivotally mountedadjacent one end thereof to the floorboard for movement toward and awayfrom the floorboard, first spring means in proximity to the pivotalmounting of the pedal biased between the pedal and floorboard normallyurging the pedal to a rest position, a vacuum actuator comprising abellows having opposite ends, means attaching one end of the bellows tothe floorboard, with the opposite end, in the extended position of thebellows, being adjacent the pedal at a location adjacent to but spacedfrom the other end of the pedal, conduit means providing communicationbetween the interior of the bellows and the inlet manifold, valve meansproviding communication between the interior of the bellows andatmosphere, said valve means including a part carried by the other endof the bellows and complemental part carried by the pedal, a secondspring means within the bellows biased between the ends thereof, saidfirst spring means being located outside of said bellows, said secondspring means being considerably stronger than said first spring meansfor urging the bellows to a position in which said part and complementalpart coact to close the valve means, the arrangement being such thatprovided the pedal does not move too quickly about its pivotal mounting,the bellows retracts with the pedal to operate the throttle valve withservo assistance, the servo assistance overcoming the action of thesecond spring means so that only the resistance of the first springmeans is felt by the operator, while upon too quick movement of thepedal, the part carried by the bellows and the complemental part carriedby the pedal cooperate to close the valve means whereby the pedal movesthe bellows mechanically against the action of the second spring meansto operate the throttle valve, and the movement of the pedal beingopposed by the combined action of the second spring means and thebellows and the first spring means.

1. An assemblage for achieving fuel economy for use with a road vehicleengine having an inlet manifold, a throttle valve located in the inletmanifold and a vehicle floorboard, a throttle pedal pivotally mountedadjacent one end thereof to the floorboard for movement toward and awayfrom the floorboard, first spring means in proximity to the pivotalmounting of the pedal biased between the pedal and floorboard normallyurging the pedal to a rest position, a vacuum actuator comprising abellows having opposite ends, means attaching one end of the bellows tothe floorboard, with the opposite end, in the extended position of thebellows, being adjacent the pedal at a location adjacent to but spacedfrom the other end of the pedal, conduit means providing communicationbetween the interior of the bellows and the inlet manifold, valve meansproviding communication between the interior of the bellows andatmosphere, said valve means including a part carried by the other endof the bellows and complemental part carried by the pedal, a secondspring means within the bellows biased between the ends thereof, saidfirst spring means being located outside of said bellows, said secondspring means being considerably stronger than said first spring meansfor urging the bellows to a position in which said part and complementalpart coact to close the valve means, the arrangement being such thatprovided the pedal does not move too quickly about its pivotal mounting,the bellows retracts with the pedal to operate the throttle valve withservo assistance, the servo assistance overcoming the action of thesecond spring means so that only the resistance of the first springmeans is felt by the operator, while upon too quick movement of thepedal, the part carried by the bellows and the complemental part carriedby the pedal cooperate to close the valve means whereby the pedal movesthe bellows mechanically against the action of the second spring meansto operate the throttle valve, and the movement of the pedal beingopposed by the combined action of the second spring means and thebellows and the first spring means.